What are the advantages and disadvantages of publishing your work as a preprint? Have this question answered and more in this blog.
In a previous article, we introduced the topic of preprints and detailed the basics.
It can be tempting for us as African researcher to see preprints as a golden ticket because of some of the challenges we face in publishing our research in conventional journals.
However, it’s good to think through some advantages and disadvantages of using preprints. Below are some points to consider:
Advantages and disadvantages of publishing your work as a preprint
6 Advantages of publishing your work as a preprint
- Rapid Sharing of Research
The peer review process for journal articles can be slow, taking several months or even years. Preprints provide a mechanism for rapidly communicating research with the scientific community.
- Establishing Priority of Work
Preprints help scientists establish the priority of their work. By sharing a preprint, researchers can get a digital object identifier (DOI) for their work, which provides a “public timestamp” that establishes them as the first to publish a certain piece of work. This can be especially advantageous to help Africa researchers safeguard their ideas.
- Open and Early Feedback
Preprints open up possibilities for pre-publication commentary that have previously been limited to a group of trusted confidants and hand-selected (often anonymous) peer reviewers invited by the editors. This can lead to new discoveries.
- Professional Development:
Preprints can help improve the professional development of researchers and reviewers. If planning to use preprints to support your professional development (e.g. promotions at your University), it’s important to find out your institution’s policy of using preprints for promotions.
- Increased Citations and Media Mentions
A 2019 study found that preprint posting increased citations and media mentions. This can help you to promote your work.
6 Disadvantages of publishing your work as a preprint
- Reliability
Preprints are not peer-reviewed, so they may contain errors or inaccuracies that might not have been allowed through the peer-review process. Ensure that you carefully review your work, make use of free grammar-checking software such as Grammarly, and get a trusted colleague or mentor to review it for you.
- Confusion
Preprints can confuse the public and other scientists, especially if they are reported in the media before they have been peer-reviewed.
- Acceptance
Not all academic journals accept papers that have been published as preprints.
- Negative Feedback
Authors may receive negative comments on their preprint, which could influence the peer-review process. Because preprints are openly published and allow peer review from the research public, you can end up getting negative comments that discourage you or make you change your work.
- Risk of Being Scooped
Competitors may rush to publish similar research and beat you to the final publication. As much as the preprint may establish the primacy of your work, a competitor can rush and publish similar research in a high-impact journal, which establishes them as the experts in that area of work.
- Additional Time in the Publishing Process
The process of publishing a preprint can add additional time to the overall publishing process. This can lead to the work being de-prioritized as you struggle to juggle your busy work as a researcher.
Final Thoughts
In summary, publishing work in preprints offers several advantages, such as rapid dissemination of research findings, increased visibility, and the opportunity for early feedback from the scientific community.
This can accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and foster collaboration. However, preprints also come with disadvantages, including the lack of formal peer review, which can lead to the spread of unverified or flawed results.
Additionally, the absence of a rigorous review process might affect the credibility of the work, and some journals may be less likely to publish studies that have already appeared as preprints.
Before deciding whether to publish your work as a preprint, consider some of these advantages and disadvantages. Balancing these pros and cons is crucial for a researcher.
